The cheapest fund (Vision Super) charges $189/year while the most expensive (Hostplus) charges $349/year — a difference of $161 per year. Compounded at 7% annual growth over 30 years, this gap grows to $16,228 in lost retirement savings.
All 19 Funds Ranked by Total Fee at $25,000
Total fee = admin fee (flat) + admin fee (%) + investment fee + indirect cost ratio, applied to a $25,000 balance.
| # | Fund | Admin $ | Admin % | Inv. Fee | ICR | Total $/yr | Total % | 10yr Return |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Vision Super | $66 | 0.14% | 0.31% | 0.04% | $189 | 0.75% | 7.20% |
| 2 | Brighter Super | $26 | 0.14% | 0.50% | 0.08% | $206 | 0.82% | 7.50% |
| 3 | AustralianSuper | $52 | 0.10% | 0.47% | 0.06% | $210 | 0.84% | 8.90% |
| 4 | UniSuper | $96 | — | 0.43% | 0.08% | $224 | 0.89% | 8.50% |
| 5 | HESTA | $52 | 0.15% | 0.49% | 0.07% | $230 | 0.92% | 8.30% |
| 6 | Australian Retirement Trust | $57 | 0.10% | 0.51% | 0.11% | $237 | 0.95% | 10.04% |
| 7 | Aware Super | $52 | 0.15% | 0.57% | 0.08% | $252 | 1.01% | 8.10% |
| 8 | Cbus | $52 | 0.19% | 0.44% | 0.19% | $257 | 1.03% | 8.40% |
| 9 | Equip Super | $52 | 0.19% | 0.52% | 0.14% | $264 | 1.06% | 7.80% |
| 10 | REST | $78 | 0.10% | 0.47% | 0.18% | $266 | 1.06% | 7.80% |
| 11 | CareSuper | $68 | 0.15% | 0.51% | 0.14% | $268 | 1.07% | 8.00% |
| 12 | First Super | $86 | 0.18% | 0.49% | 0.09% | $276 | 1.10% | 7.20% |
| 13 | LegalSuper | $51 | 0.29% | 0.50% | 0.13% | $281 | 1.13% | 7.00% |
| 14 | Hostplus | $129 | — | 0.80% | 0.08% | $349 | 1.40% | 9.00% |
Key Observations at $25,000
- The cheapest fund at this balance is Vision Super at $189/year (0.75% of balance).
- The most expensive is Hostplus at $349/year (1.40% of balance).
- The $161/year difference compounds to $16,228 over 30 years at 7% growth.
- Lower fees do not guarantee better outcomes — net-of-fee returns matter more. Some higher-fee funds outperform after costs.
These rankings use a flat $25,000 balance. Use our comparison calculator to see how fees and returns compare at your real balance and contribution level.
Compare at Other Balances
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Fee rankings shift at different balances. Funds with high flat fees penalise smaller balances, while funds with high percentage fees become expensive at larger balances.
Independent superannuation research · about the editor ✓ Fact-checked · updated July 2026
Source: APRA & ATO data